Fall Protection


FALL PROTECTION

NOTE: CONFIRM CLIENTS REQUIREMENTS FOR WORKING AT HEIGHTS. SOME POLICIES MAY SUPERSEDE (BE MORE STRINGENT) THAN THE OHS CODE

 SCOPE

A hazard assessment shall be done and a written fall protection plan shall be devised for each new or modified work site where the hazard of falling exists.

Where it is not practicable to provide adequate work platforms, scaffolds or staging, it is the policy of Quick N Quality  that all workers working on a temporary platform 3m (10ft.) or more above floor level or grade or on a permanent platform 1.2m (4 ft) above floor level or grade, must use the fall protection equipment that is provided.

Supervisors shall ensure that personal fall arrest equipment is available and used when required.

DEFINITIONS

Anchorage: An attachment point for a fall arrest system or lifeline. It must be capable of withstanding 22 kN (5000 lbs.) of impact load.

Arresting Force: The force generated by arresting the fall of a person that is transmitted through the fall arresting system components to the anchorage.

Deceleration Device: A mechanism which serves to dissipate energy during fall.

Deceleration Distance: The additional vertical distance a falling worker travels, excluding lifeline elongation, before stopping, from the point at which the deceleration device begins to operate. It is measured as the distance between the location of a worker’s body harness attachment point just prior to activation of the deceleration device during a fall, and the location of that attachment point after the worker comes to a full stop.

Fall Restraint System: An arrangement which prevents workers from putting themselves in a position where they could fall.

Free Fall: The act of falling, before the personal fall arrest system begins to arrest the fall.

Free Fall Distance: The vertical distance a worker falls before the fall arresting system begins to arrest the fall.

Full Body Harness: A body holding device that is used as part of a personal fall arrest system. The harness consists of a system of webbing that distributes the arrest forces to the thighs, pelvis, and shoulders.

Impact Load: The force exerted on a point as the result of a sudden application of load.

Lanyard: A rope (synthetic or wire) or web device that connects the full body harness to the anchor point or fall arrest system. The lanyard should be no longer that 1.5m (5ft).

Lifeline:

A line provided for direct or indirect attachment to a worker’s body harness, lanyard, or deceleration device. Such lifelines may be horizontal or vertical in application. A Professional Engineer must design horizontal lifeline systems.

Personal Fall Arrest System: A horizontal or vertical arrangement of rope (synthetic or wire) and hardware used to stop the fall of a worker. The components must all be capable of withstanding the impact loads imposed on them.

Rope Grab: A device which attaches to a lifeline as an anchorage.

Self-Retracting Lifeline: A deceleration device that contains a line wound on a drum that may be slowly extracted from, or retracted onto, the drum under slight tension during normal worker movement, and which, after onset of a fall, automatically locks the drum and arrests the fall.

Shock Absorbers: A component of a system, which allows dissipation of energy by extending the deceleration distance.

Tie-Off: The act of a user wearing personal fall arrest equipment, connecting directly or indirectly to an anchorage. It also means the condition of a worker being connected to an anchorage.

Total Fall Distance: The maximum vertical distance between the wearer’s full body harness attachment points before and after the fall is arrested including lanyard extension and deceleration distance.

GUIDELINES

* When not protected by any means of fall protection, such as guardrails, workers shall use personal fall arrest equipment, which consists of a full body harness, shock absorbing lanyard with locking snap hooks, and an adequate anchorage. To achieve effective fall protection, workers may need to use a bypass lanyard system and/or vertical or horizontal lifelines, self-retracting lifelines or other such approved devices.

* The acceptable personal protective equipment for fall arrest is a CSA or ANSI approved Full Body Harness with Shock Absorbing Lanyard, complete with locking snap hooks.

* Workers shall not use personal fall arrest equipment until they have been properly trained in its use.

* Every Hazard Assessment prepared for jobs requiring personal fall arrest equipment must identify means of rescue should the need arise.

* Workers shall rig personal fall arrest equipment so that they can neither free fall more than 1.22m (4ft.) nor contact any lower object. Anchorage points for personal fall arrest equipment shall be capable of supporting a shock load of 16kN (3600lbs.) and located above the worker’s body harness attachment point where practicable.

* When vertical lifelines are used, a separate lifeline shall protect each worker. The lifeline shall be properly weighted at the bottom and terminated to prevent a device such as a rope grab from falling off the line.

* Horizontal lifelines must be designed by a Professional Engineer or purchased from a reputable manufacturer. The recommendations of the Professional Engineer or manufacturer must be followed for the use, installation and inspection of these devices.

* Prior to each use, workers shall visually inspect all personal fall arrest equipment for cuts, cracks, tears or abrasions, undue stretching, overall deterioration, mildew, operational defects, heat damage, acid or other corrosion. Equipment showing any defect shall be withdrawn from service.

* All personal fall arrest equipment subjected to impact loads caused by a fall or by testing shall be removed from service.

* All personal fall arrest equipment must be stored in a cool dry place not subject to direct sunlight.

* Personal fall arrest equipment shall not be used for any other purpose such as towropes or hoist lines.

* Harnesses and lanyards that have labels missing or if the print cannot be read shall be removed from service.

* Employees working on wall forms or rebar shall wear a full body harness and/or positioning device when exposed to a fall in excess of 1.2m (4 ft.), unless protected by other suitable means.

AERIAL WORK PLATFORMS and SUSPENDED WORK PLATFORMS

* When operating a scissors lift work platform the platform shall have guardrails on all open sides and the door access chains or rails in place. Scissors lifts are only to be used on finished floors and by trained workers.

* Workers operating aerial work platforms shall wear a full body harness and lanyard attached to the aerial lift. Workers shall not attach the lanyard to an independent structure.

* Aerial work platforms are not to be used as cranes. Items to be lifted must be entirely contained in the bucket and the all-up weight (workers and tools) must not exceed the capacity assigned by the Manufacturer.

* No worker shall operate any aerial work platform without first having training in the proper use of the equipment.

* Workers riding in a crane suspended work platform or bucket of a boom truck shall wear a full body harness and lanyard attached to the anchor point of the platform.

GUARDRAILS

* Proper guardrails shall be installed on open sides of all walkways and runways where the fall distance exceeds 1.3m (4ft.), and on all open sided floors where the fall distance exceeds 1.3m (4ft.).

* All floor openings or floor holes shall be protected by guardrails or hole covers. If hole covers are used they shall be strong enough to support the maximum intended load, secured against displacement, and properly labeled.

* Stairs, ladders, or ramps shall be provided for all access ways where there is a change in elevation greater than 500mm (20in.).

* When guardrails are used for fall protection they shall consist of a top rail intermediate rail and toeboard. The top rail shall have a vertical height of 1066mm (42in.), the mid rail shall be at 530mm (21in.), and the toeboard at 130mm (5in.). When wood railings are used, the post shall be of at least 50mm by 100mm (2 in. by 4in.) stock, spaced not to exceed 2.4m (8 ft.). The top rail shall be of at least 50mm by 100mm (2in. by 4in.) stock, and the intermediate rail shall be of at least 25mm by 150mm (1in. by 6in.) stock.

If pipe is used, it must be at least 38mm (1-1/2in.) nominal diameter. If structural steel is used, it shall be of 50mm by 50mm by 10mm (2 in. by 2 in. by 3/8in.) angles or equivalent.

If wire rope is used for railings, it must have a diameter of at least 13mm (1/2in.) and shall be stretched taut to allow no more than a 76mm (3in.) deflection.

* Manila or synthetic rope shall not be used as guardrails.

REMOVAL OF TEMPORARY COVERS

* All employees in the area shall be made aware of the covers being removed.

* The Quick N Quality  Supervisor must approve the removal of any covers, and in some cases a permit may be required.

* The only covers to be removed are for openings that will be worked on immediately.

* Covers must be replaced when the work is complete, shift is complete, or any interruption of work around any uncovered opening, i.e. coffee or lunch breaks.

* Openings must be kept clear of materials and equipment at all times.

* The area under the opening must be barricaded to prevent injury to employees or the public.

* Fall Arrest Equipment will be worn by any Quick N Quality employees within 2m (6.6ft.) of the uncovered opening.

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Signature Certificate
Document name: Fall Protection
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Timestamp Audit
2016-02-04 10:28:12 MSTFall Protection Uploaded by Michelle Bryan - [email protected] IP 69.168.160.97